A Day In The Life of Our Insanity

Notes for the future historian of our times.

Feb 26, 2026

The Incredible Shrinking Mike Johnson. Kevin Dietsch/Getty Images

This is what it looked like in late February 2026:

The scorching blast-radius of the Epstein scandal spreads — ~~Prince~~ Andrew (!), Bill Gates (!), Larry Summers (!), Bill Clinton (!) — as Trump’s own coverup cracks wide open, with accusations of child-rape entering the conversation.

At the same time: The GOP’s control of the House majority hangs on its willingness to ignore a member’s deadly sex scandal.

Kash Patel fires FBI agents who investigated Trump’s pilfering of classified documents.

Companies line up for refunds from Trump’s illegal tariffs.

And because the cruelty is the point, a blind refugee abandoned by the Border Patrol dies while trying to get home.

Meanwhile, Trump’s thuggish border czar “Says He’ll “Educate” Pope Leo XIV on Catholic Teaching.”

Finally —and I kid you not — a wellness guru/psychedelic lunar priestess/magic mushroom enthusiast is poised to become the nation’s Surgeon General.

Which explains why I find myself saying “FFS” so often these days.

Happy Thursday.

The cruelty remains the point

While the news is dominated by the rich and famous, please take a moment to think about a man named Nurul Amin Shah Alam, who was neither.

Nurul Amin Shah Alam, a nearly blind refugee from Burma who Border Patrol agents dropped off at a doughnut shop Thursday and left to find his way home, 5 miles away, has been found dead.

Explained Nichola Kristof: “US immigration officials picked up a blind Rohingya refugee last week in Buffalo, NY. Then, realizing they had no basis to deport him, they released him five miles from his home. He needed a walking stick and died trying to make his way back to his house.”

This is a face we should remember, because this is what is being done in our name.

Nurul Amin Shah Alam. Photo via his missing persons poster.

The House GOP Scandal

“Really don't think it's possible to overstate how desensitizing the Trump era has been to behavior that was once considered scandalous and disqualifying from elected officials,” wrote McKay Coppins.

Speaker Mike Johnson has told us who he is many times before. But this is a new circle of shamelessness.

Desperate to hang onto his slim majority in the House, Speaker Johnson is providing cover for one of the worst congressional sex scandals in years: “Rep. Tony Gonzales says he won't resign over 'sexual' texts with aide who set herself on fire.” While a growing number of House Republicans have called for Gonzales to go — Johnson is turning a blind eye. Joe Perticone has the story so far:

The scandal involving Rep. Tony Gonzales (R-Texas) keeps getting worse. The Texas lawmaker is alleged to have had an affair with a congressional staffer who later ended her life by self-immolation. Newly released text messages show the Republican lawmaker repeatedly pressured the staffer to send him explicit photos.
In more normal times, Gonzales’s behavior would prompt a swift resignation and condemnatory statements from party leadership. But the Republican majority in the House is in dire straits: With the balance of power in the chamber resting at 218–214, the GOP can afford only two defections² with full attendance before they lose their ability to pass legislation.

Despite a rising chorus of outrage, Johnson needs Gonzelez’s vote. So…

For now, Gonzales does not feel obligated to step down, and Republican leadership continues to refrain from asking him to do so. This is not just because of the math of the current House majority.
It is also a result of the party’s moral decay. In the past, even thin majorities with tough votes ahead have proven capable of ridding themselves of scumbags and criminals when their wrongdoing came to light. Past speakers, including Paul Ryan, Nancy Pelosi, and Kevin McCarthy,all dealt with colleagues who had sex scandals, and each pursued resignations and investigations as appropriate. Johnson appears to have laid down that torch.

Were You Not Entertained?

Charlie Sykes

Feb 25

Fair warning: I feel a rant coming on.

Read full story

She was 13-years-old

MAGA has had no problem shrugging off Trump's “Grab them by the pussy,” or the verdict that found him liable for sexual abuse. They've swallowed his lies, his corruption, and even his embrace of state socialism. So, it seems naive to think that this would make a difference.

But this is different. Because we're talking about a 13-year-old girl. It's important to note that the allegations are unconfirmed. But the cover-up is very real and the story is not going away. As of this morning, multiple news outlets are reporting the same thing:

DOJ removed, withheld Epstein files related to accusations about Trump : NPR
The woman who directly named Trump in her abuse allegation claimed that around 1983, when she was around 13 years old, Epstein introduced her to Trump, "who subsequently forced her head down to his exposed penis which she subsequently bit. In response, Trump punched her in the head and kicked her out."
Epstein Files Are Missing Records About Woman Who Made Claim Against Trump - The New York Times
In that 2025 memo, federal officials wrote that the woman had said that Mr. Epstein introduced her to Mr. Trump, and that she claimed Mr. Trump had assaulted her in a violent and lurid encounter. The documents say the alleged incident would have occurred in the mid-1980s when she was 13 to 15 years old, but they do not include any assessment by the F.B.I. about the credibility of her accusation.
Roger Sollenberger: “Underage Accuser Included Trump 'Rape' Allegations In Her Lawsuit Against Epstein”
Sollenberger: DOJ Removed Record of Multiple FBI Interviews with Underage Trump Accuser, Epstein Data Shows
WSJ: “DOJ to Review Whether Epstein Files About Trump Were Improperly Withheld”
Among the documents that were released are the FBI’s notes with the woman from her interview in July 2019. She told agents that Epstein sexually abused her in the 1980s when she was as young as 13 years old in South Carolina, according to the FBI notes. …
The Justice Department didn’t release the FBI notes from three subsequent interviews the woman gave to agents in August and October 2019. The discrepancy was earlier reported by independent journalist Roger Sollenberger.

Exit take: Drip, drip, drip.

Nota Bene

Mediaite: “Gold Medalist Hilary Knight Rips Trump Women's Hockey Rant”

ANDREW DESTIN: Andrew Destin with the Associated Press. Question for you, Hilary, but as everybody else wants to chime in.
Obviously, you’re celebrating the magnificent accomplishments that you guys had over the Olympics, but you spoke about President Trump’s comments about inviting you guys to the White House. [Editor’s note: “Trump lamented that he’d also have to invite the women’s team to the White House. “And we have to, I must tell you, we’re gonna have to bring the woman’s team,” Trump said. The players initially laughed at the remark. “I do believe I would probably be impeached,” Trump said.]
Don’t mean to detract from the celebration, but curious if you had any further comments, anything else you’d like to add about that.
HILARY KNIGHT: No, I just thought the joke was distasteful and unfortunate. And I think, you know, just the way women are represented, it’s a great teaching point to really shine light on how women should be championed for their amazing feats.
And now, I have to sort of sit, and anybody, has to sit in front of you and explain someone else’s behavior. It’s not my responsibility, so…
(CHEERS).